Ocarina Of Times
by BoyAwesome
Summary: Link thought he had saved Hyrule, he thought he'd eradicated the evil within the land. However, when it appears his adventure had restarted, a new threat is posed. A new, evil, and powerful enemy has plans to destroy Hyrule in a horrible way. Now it is up to Link to save not only Hyrule, but time itself.
1. Author's Intro Note

Hey guys!

As you can guess, this is my first fanfiction. I've been really exited to finally have enough free time to write this. I'm always looking for feedback and you can leave any suggestions I would _really_ appreciate it. As soon as the first chapter does go up, I will try as hard as I can to get to work on the next one. But I want you guys to remember, I will NEVER leave you hanging.

Sincerely,

BoyAwesome

P.S.

Feel free to message me any suggestions. Again, always looking for feedback! :D


	2. A New Start

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Legend Of Zelda or any characters associated with it.**

The only thing he could hear was the ringing of The Song Of Time in his ears. But where was he?

Link felt a tough wooden bed against his back. His vision was still blurry, but he could make out his old Kokiri bedroom. He thought he was seeing things.

"Zelda?"

He frantically looked around for the princess. But then he looked down at himself. He was young again!

"H..How?"

He shakily got up from the log. He knew where he was, he just didn't want to believe it. He _had_ defeated Ganon, right? Was it a dream? No! He couldn't have just _imagined _it all! Could he?

"Link! Are you awake?"

He recognized Saria's voice. He slowly stepped towards the opening in his tree house. The light of the daytime shined in his eyes and blinded him. He was engulfed in darkness for so long... or that's what he thought. He really wasn't sure that it all _actually_ had happened.

"Saria? Is that you?" Saria looked up at Link, worried at his dazed appearance. "Are you OK Link?" Link looked down at her and saw her worried look. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine. I'm just...I'm fine."

Saria smiled at his answer. "Good! Because I have a WHOLE DAY planned for us! First we're going to stroll around the lost woods, then we're going to-" Her plans were cut off at Link's comment. "Saria, I need to rest today. I really need to think about things." Saria stared at him, disappointed. "Oh. Okay then, see ya." Link was heartbroken as he saw his best friend in the whole world sniffle and slowly walk away, but he really needed to get his mind straight.

"Hm. A new start, I guess." Link headed back into his house to lay back down.


	3. Deja-Vu

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Legend Of Zelda of any characters associated with it.**

Link was still confused.

He had no Kokiri Sword, no fairy, no Goron bracelet, nothing of anything. He had been his kid self more than once throughout his adventure...that he may not have had. He just sat in his bed, looking up at the ceiling.

"Hey! Listen! Wake up! Can Hyrule's fate really depend on such a lazy boy?"

Link knew he had heard that somewhere before, it gave him a strange sense of Deja-vu. Navi!

"Navi? Is that you?" Link looked at the fairy,but she just frantically looked out the door. "Listen! The Great Deku Tree has summoned you! You need to-" Link waved his hand at her, moving her out of the way. "Yeah, yeah. I've heard it before. Let's go." Navi was confused by his comment, but followed him anyway.

"Link! Do you feel better today? I still want to- Is that a fairy? You got a fairy? Congratulations! Where are you going?" Saria's questions didn't seem to end. Link couldn't explain, even though he knew exactly what was happening. Navi seemed interested in telling the green haired Kokiri girl what was going on. "Well you see, Link has been summoned by The Great Deku Tree, and we don't know why-" Link laughed at Navi's comment. "I know what's happening. Saria, do you have 40 rupees?" Saria raised an eyebrow. "Yeah.. It's in this pouch I carry around-" "Thanks!" Link snatched the pouch and headed for the Kokiri shop. Saria just shook her head.

After buying his shield, Link headed to the familiar spot where the Kokiri sword was located. He headed off to the Great Deku Tree.

"Hey! Wimp! Where do you think you're- BLLMPPHH!" Link just shoved Mido to the ground, not caring what he said. "Yeah I really don't care, Mido." Mido got up and dusted himself off.

'WHATEVER! YOU'LL STILL NEVER BE ONE OF US!" Mido yelled as Link walked away. Link laughed.

"I'M NOT ONE OF YOU!" He yelled back to Mido, leaving him confused. "Great Deku Tree, Here I come!"

**Hey Guys! I'm really happy I could make this chapter longer this time, and I'm still really looking for feedback. If you have time to leave a like or favorite, please do! Also, leave any suggestions that you have for my story. BoyAwesome, Out!**


	4. To The Tree!

**DISLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE LEGEND OF ZELDA OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS**. **ALL RIGHTS TO NINTENDO.**

Link continued walking towards the Deku Tree, still pondering why he had felt like everything was on repeat, like it was just apart of some loop. "How long is this path?" Link mumbled, still walking slowly to the tree. He was honestly tired, having overslept. "Is that fairy still-" Link looked over his shoulder, watching, as Navi observed the area around them. "Hey Link!" She shouted. "Why are you going so sl-" Navi fell silent. Link turned around. "What did you s-AAARHG!" Link fell to the ground as the beast in front of him gulped down his fairy companion.

Link pulled out his sword as he scrambled to his feet. He quickly backed up as the plant-like creature snapped at him. He slashed as the monster, slicing its head in half. Navi quickly flew out, chocking and gasping for air. "THAT. WAS. HORRIBLE." The fairy said, flying to link. "I'm just gonna hide here." Navi flew into Link's hat, snuggling into his hair. Link didn't mind, as it warmed his head.

He reached the tree, knowing what he was going to say. Link recited the passage as the Deku Tree told him. "Now enter Link." Link looked down at his boots, knocking dirt off of them. "I'm ready." Link slowly walked to the tree's mouth. He stopped at the entrance, taking in a deep breath. He smirked, walking into the tree.

"Let's do this. Again."


	5. The Great Deku Tree

Link approached the webbed hole in the middle of the tree, looking down, then looked up. "Well, that's one heck of a fall."

"What do you mean?" Navi pondered, looking at the web. "Now how are we going to do this?"

"Fall. I Fall." Link climbed the ladder, ignoring the monsters that were growling at him. He followed the path, making small jumps at the holes in the sides. He had memorized this _entire_ dungeon, as he had traversed inside and out. At least, that's what he thought.

"Hey! Link! Link! Listen! Look! Hey!" Navi continued to annoy him until he finally asked what she wanted. She looked at a door next to them. "There. Go in there." Link looked at the door, remembering the small wooden weapon that lied within.

"Yeah. Let's go." Link opened the door, looking around. Moving platforms, skulltulla, two chests. "I forgot how intensive this would get, jeez." Link pressed the button, quickly jumping avoiding the skulltulla, as he hated spiders. He reached the chest on the opposite side of the room, opening it. "DA DA DA- Oh, its the compass." He was frustrated by this, but kept going through the labyrinth.

"Hey! Hey! Link! Look! Listen! Link! Link!" The fairy would not leave him alone, as he opened another chest.

"DA DA DUUUUUMMMMMM!" He yelled, putting the newly found slingshot above his head. "I got it! I finally found it! Hey Navi!" Link turned around as the fairy flew away from him.

"Let's go!" Navi waited at the door. Link blinked once or twice, the responded.

"Ok, yeah. Let's go." Link left the room, looking up. "Up there." He pointed to the top of the tree, smirking. He proceded to climb up the vine to the top of the tree. Slaying a skulltulla, he prepared himself for the fall ahead of him.

"3...2...1...GO!" Link jumped off the ledge, breaking through the web barrier, landing in the water beneath it.

"Hey...Listen..." Navi was out of breath, as she attempted to keep up with Link as he fell, tiring her wings. "The...monster...ahead..." Navi flew into Link's hat, falling asleep. Her soft breathing calmed Link as he continued deeper into the dungeon.

It took him about an hour, but he finally ended up in a large, foggy room. "I'm... I'm getting a serious amount of Deja Vu." He walked forward, and Navi woke up. She flew out of his hat, nearly knocking it off his head. Link reajusted it as Navi flew around in a pannicked manner.

"Link! This room is-" Navi was interrupted by a slight tremour. Navi quickly flew back into Link's hat, shaking slightly.

"Navi, what's wr-" Link froze, seeing a large figure appear in the shadows. Then Link remembered.

"Oh no."


	6. Queen Gohma

Link slowly backed away from the beast that loomed over him, repeating to himself one phrase: _I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die. _But he remembered. He had fought this monster once before.

Right?

He pulled out his sword, pointing it at the giant spider. "Gohma." He said, squinting his eyes in concentration. "FIGHT ME!" He dashed towards the queen, sword in one hand, shield in the other.

That didn't get him very far.

He was shot across the room, slamming into the wall. "Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow owwww." Navi said, flying out of Links hat. She immediately flew back in the moment she saw the spider queen. But Link ran as fast he could, as fast as he had ever run before. Well, at least for what he remembered. He searched his memories as hard as he could, but it was difficult, taking into consideration that he was being chased by a giant spider. And that he absolutely HATED spiders.

He hid in a corner as Gohma searched the room for him. He was scared out of his mind, which was terrible because he kinda needed that to beat the giant queen. And, finally, he remembered. (He wondered how he figured out how to beat him the first time, if there was a first time.) "Her eye!" He yelled in triumph, attracting the beast. "Oh. Crap."

Link quickly pulled out his slingshot, aiming for the monsters eye. "TAKE THIS YOU GIANT, SPIDER, SCUM!" Link shot at her eye with near perfect aim, bringing the beast to the ground. It was temporarily unconscious, and Link took that as a chance. He quickly ran to her eye, slashing and stabbing at it until she turned red. Pure anger surged throughout the monster as she climbed up the wall, preparing to birth more enemies.

"OH, no you don't!"

Link shot at the eye of the spider once more, rendering it immobile, He took many slashes at it before backing up, only to find to his surprise that the monster did not get up. "Is...is this it? This is it!" Link smiled, taking his sword in both his hands, and ran towards Gohma. He took one huge jump and stabbed down at the beast's eye.

"KYYYYYYAAAAAA!"

His sword did not bounce back, for it had went directly through the eye of the beast, implanting itself into the floor beneath. The beast's eye slowly rolled back, leaving on long bloody cut, as the eye slowly dragged against the side of the blade, being cut in half. The beast then slowly deteriorated, leaving nothing but the blood soaked sword. Link picked it up, sliding it back in its sheath. A heart container appeared, drawing the hero near.

"DA DA DA DUUUUUMMMMM!"


	7. The Wooden Ocarina

Link stepped into the glowing circle in the wooden floor. A wall of blinding light engulfed him, and he felt a moment of weightlessness. The ground beneath warped and distorted, softened and darkened, and his feet slowly touched the grass. He looked up at the Deku Tree.

"Link." The Deku Tree boomed, his expression somber. "You have proven your bravery by killing the beast that had been cursed upon me." The Deku Tree's voice stiffened, and Link knew perfectly why.

"I was doomed to die before you ever arrived, Link." Link sat down, and stared at the grass. He missed his guardian, and even though he had seen him once more, he knew he would be gone just as quickly.

"The man from the desert, Link, he did this to me. He has a power I could not match, and he had killed me before I knew I was cursed. I cannot be saved." Link stared at the grass, and a tear ran down his cheek. Why couldn't he have been faster?

"Take this stone, Link, and head into the world. Speak to the Princess of the kingdom, she shall lead you from there." Link stood up, and wiped the tears from his cheek, smiling weakly.

"Yes, sir." The Kokiri Emerald hovered in front of Link. He reached for it.

DA DA DA DUUUUUUUUM!

Link walked back into the forest, and just as he stepped into view of the houses of the Kokiri, Mido stepped in front of him. His arms were crossed and his face was filled with fury.

"You... You killed him... YOU KILLED HIM!" Mido screamed, and many faces from the various buildings popped out, trying to locate the origin of the noise. "You shove me to the ground, and then you KILL the Deku Tree? Do you know what you've just done?"

"Now, Mido. Hear me out-" Link's sentence was cut short by a hard slap from Mido. Link roared in fury, and pulled his sword. "Do that again! I DARE YOU!" Link's sword was inches from Mido's face, and Mido was frozen in fear. A crowd had formed around the two.

"You can't... You wouldn't..." Mido's voice trembled as Link raised his sword, his mind fogged with anger. All he could see was red, and Mido's idiotic face.

"Watch me."

"LINK!" Saria was standing behind the crowd, her look one of disappointment and shock. "What are you doing?" She began to run over to the crowd.

"Never." Link said, stepping closer to Mido. "Say I'm not a Kokiri. I'm as much of one as you are." Link sheathed his sword, and ran over to Saria.

"I wanted to talk to you... About... Umm..." Saria blushed deeply, and she looked at the ground. Link grinned.

"Let's go somewhere more private, if you want to talk, Saria." Saria looked up, her face turned a deeper shade of crimson. She nodded, and Link led her to the entrance to Hyrule Field. When they arrived, Saria stopped.

"Wh... Why are we here?" Saria asked, looking over to Link. He looked straight ahead, not daring to look at her innocent face. He had to be strong.

"Look, Saria. I have to leave." Saria gasped, and her eyes filled with tears. "It's okay. I won't be gone forever. I have a duty. I have a destiny to fulfill." Link finally looked over to her tear stained face. His eyes began to water too. "I'll miss you. So much." Saria threw herself into Link's arms, and she began to sob violently.

"Link..." Saria finally let go of him, wiping away the tears. "Here. When you play it, remember me." Saria thrust a hand-carved, wooden ocarina into Link's hands. He looked down at it and smiled. "It's a Fairy Ocarina. I hope you like it."

"I love it." Link pocketed the ocarina, and began to walk in the direction of Hyrule Field. He stopped suddenly. He turned around, and walked back over to Saria stopping very close to her face.

"Link... Wh.. What are you-" Saria's words were muffled by a very sudden and slightly sloppy kiss. She returned immediately, and, after a few seconds, they separated. Saria had a joyful, dazed expression on her face. Link smiled back.

"I'll miss you." Link said. He ran off in the other direction, and his adventure truly began.


	8. Hyrule Field

Link shielded his eyes to the even more intense sunlight if Hyrule Field. He adjusted, and smiled warmly. He remembered this place so well. He took a deep breath of fresh air, and ran toward the field, his grin widening.

"Link! Wait!"

Link stopped dead in his tracks. He had heard that voice before, he just couldn't remember where. He looked up, and above him was a large owl, who had a large smile on his constantly twitching face.

"Oh, no... Not this guy..."

"So! You defeated the beast with the guardian of the forest, eh? Impressive. Usually, Kokiri aren't allowed to leave the forest. I've never seen it personally, so it's odd to see one of you out here. You know, that reminds me, what happened to the Great Deku Tree anyway? Is he okay?" Link sighed deeply, getting the feeling that this was going to be a long conversation.

"He's dead, Kaepora." The owl looked down suspiciously at him, apparently calculating something. Link was still looking at the owl, who's head had stopped moving frantically.

"I see." The owl said calmly. "And, may I ask how you know my name?" Link froze, realizing his mistake. The owl, nor anybody else, had known that Link was reliving his adventure. Link had a feeling the owl knew this.

"Lucky guess." Link said quietly. The owl stared at him for quite some time, and nothing was said. Then Kaepora spoke.

"Goodbye, Hero of Time." The owl flew away, leaving Link confused and exasperated. Kaepora Gaebora was the first would to know of Link's previous adventure. But link wondered, how did he know that he was the Hero of Time? Link pondered this as he walked back in the direction of the expansive field in front of him.

"Wow..." A look of amazement spread across Link's face as his eyes fell on the massive and beautiful field. "It feels like so long ago..." Link remembered vividly his experiences in the grassy hills. He smiled weakly. "So long..."

He ran into the grass, jumping and yelling in joy. It was so wonderful, having this freedom to wander the world around him, to be independent and free. It was fantastic.

Link had laid in the grass, letting the gentle breeze flow onto him for hours. Link knew that he had business to attend to, but it was too relaxing to move. He opened his eyes lazily, and-

"No." Link said, his eyes widening. "No, no, no, NO, NO, NO, NO!" Link jumped up, and panicked. "I have to hurry... Oh no... I can't do this again..."

The sun was setting.

Link ran as fast as he could toward the castle town, occasionally looking back to check on the sun. It seemed to be going down faster than usually, like time itself was against Link." He tripped over a root, and fell into the dirt, face first. "I could go a Sun Song right about now..." Link's face lit up, and he sat up quickly.

"That's it! The Sun Song!" Link pulled out the fairy ocarina that Saria had given him, and looked at it lovingly. "For you." He put the ocarina to his lips.

Nothing.

He concentrated as hard as he could, but could not remember the song. He remembered that he had written all the song notes down, because he never could remember them. He had retained nothing from his previous adventure. He stuffed the ocarina away in frustration.

"I might still be able to make it!" He jumped up from the ground, and continued to run as fast as he could. The sun dipped below the horizon. He was at least 50 feet away from the drawbridge as it slowly began to rise. "No! Wait!" Link tripped once more, and the draw bridge closed with a loud bang. Link's chance to avoid a night long fight for survival had passed. The ground shook.

"Oh no... Oh, no, no, no..." Skeleton figures rose from the ground, and they all trudged slowly toward him. His face of distraught turned into one of determination. He stood up slowly as more and more skeletons rose from the earth. He pulled his sword, which was still stained with spider venom and blood.

"Bring it."

Hours had passed, and Link's fight to live seemed to finally be coming to an end. The sun began to climb over the horizon, marking the end of one of Link's longest night ever. And Link, covered in scratches, his clothes torn and ripped, and his skin stained with blood, walked confidently to the opening drawbridge.

"Good morning, young man!" The soldier standing at the entrance to the town greeted Link. "How are you this fine-" The soldier's eyes scanned Link up and down, his expression becoming more and more concerned. "Are you ok? You seemed a little scratched up. We can contact one of our healers-" Link held up his hand to the soldier.

"Battle scars, my friend. Battle scars." Link walked toward the town, smirking as the soldier looked at him in confusion.

"And here we are." Link looked at the market place, and strode swiftly toward it.


	9. Market Meeting

The sounds of the market town were painful to the ear. Loud yells and music blasted through the small square, but the natives paid no mind. Link covered his ears as he got closer, squinting his eyes in discomfort.

"HEY!" A loud, young girl's voice rang through the barrier of Link's ears. He opened his eyes completely, and saw a girl with flaming red red hair, dressed in a long dress. He uncovered his ears, and the noise unaffected him. He looked in disbelief at the girl in front of him.

"Malon?" He said in disbelief. Link had thought he might get used to this by now, but it was odd to see her back in the town. Malon looked at Link with a confused and slightly frightened."

"H... How do you know my name?" Link slapped his hand to his face. He had completely forgotten that Malon still had no idea who he was. Link had to think quickly as to not draw suspicion, knowing that Malon might retreat if he acted odd.

"Oh, um... I've spoken to your father before. At the ranch, you know?" Link said, hoping that she would buy it.

"Oh!" Malon's face lit up, and a smile spread across it. "Well, it's nice to meet you! I'm Malon!" Malon paused. "Wait, you already knew that..." Link laughed in relief.

"It's fine. I'm Link, by the way." Link put out his hand. Malon did not shake it. Instead she began to wave her arms to her side.

"Link? That's an odd name. You're clothes are weird too. Are you not from here? I come here a lot. But I live at the ranch, with my father." Malon paused again. "Wait, you already knew that..." Link laughed again. Malon seemed so innocent.

"No, I'm not from here. I'm actually from the forest." Malon looked at him in confusion.

"You're a Kokiri? I thought you guys weren't allowed to leave the forest." Link sighed. It was a very long story that he didn't really have time to explain to her.

"It's a very long story, Malon. I'm not a Kokiri, I'm Hylian. My parents were killed in the war." Malon look at Link reproachfully. She frowned.

"Oh." She said. "I'm sorry..." Link chuckled, and shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, I don't mind. How can I care about people I never met?" Malon's smiled returned. She pointed at the sheathed sword on Link's back.

"Is that a sword? Why do you carry around a sword? Isn't it dangerous? My dad always said, 'Unless it's a soldier, never trust someone with a sword.' I don't know If that's true, but-" Link cut her off.

"Yes, it's a sword." He reached for the blade, his hand grasping the handle. "Do you want to see it?" Malon contemplated for a moment, and slowly nodded her head. She folded her arms to her chest. Link unsheathed the sword, and pointing it directly to the ground. The blade was still stained with blood and venom. Malon gasped.

"Did you... kill something? Link nodded, and Malon gasped again.

"I fought a giant spider inside of a huge ancient tree. He was the guardian of the forest, and he was cursed by Ganondorf." Malon stared at Link for a long time. She smiled.

"Well, it was nice meeting you!" She walked off in the direction of one of the any shops. Link looked at her, confused. He shook his head, and walked off to the castle grounds.

"Never understood her." Link said as he strode towards Hyrule Castle.

"Kid, you can't get in here." The soldier said angrily. "This is the CASTLE. Do you know what a castle is? It's the home of the royal family. The rulers of Hyrule. So, that means you need to GET LOST." The soldier jabbed at Link with his spear, and Link stormed away angrily. "This generation..." The soldier mumbled under his breath.

"Kid... He has no idea..." Link said angrily as he rounded the curve.

"Hi!" Link jumped as Malon greeted him. "How are you?" Link remembered suddenly what he had to do, a grin quickly formed on his face.

"Hey, Malon. Do you have a chicken egg that I could have?" Malon looked at him in confusion and disbelief. "I could find your father for you." Malon suspiciously pulled the egg out, and handed it to him. Link was relieved. He hugged Malon.

"Thank you, Malon!" Link released, and looked at Malon, smiling. Malon's face had turned a deep red. Link turned towards the vines quickly, hoping to avoid further conversation. Malon turned to Link when he was halfway up the vines.

"I'll... Um... I'll see you later.." Malon ran in the opposite direction, leaving Link to pull himself to the top of the ledge. He rolled over into the grass.

"That was awkward." Link said. He jumped up, and ran across to the bridge, jumping in the other side of the gate. He walked toward the moat of the castle, being careful to not be spotted. He came across Malon's father, deep asleep on the ground. He pulled out the egg, which started to crack and shake.

"Oh, now? Really? Okay." The egg burst open, and a fully grown chicken hopped out, crowing loudly. Talon awoke with a start, flailing his arms violently and jumping to his feet.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Link looked up at him, raising his eyebrows.

"You need to get to your daughter." Talon' eyes widened, and he dashed in the other, yelling and screaming about how Malon was going to kill him.

"For such a nice girl, Malon has a really messed up family." Link laughed at his own comment, and crawled through the hole in the wall.

"Time to invade a castle."


	10. Hyrule Castle

Link pulled himself out of the small moat pipe, rolling onto the grass, panting. It was never easy getting himself through that tiny hole. He laid there, staring up at the light blue sky.

"It's such a nice day..." Link sighed to himself. Sometimes he wished he weren't the hero of time. It was such tiring work. His childhood, his friends, his life, robbed of him for a destiny he didn't choose. Link sighed deeply once more. Now was not the time to dwell on such things.

"A path well chosen for such a brave young man." Link stopped dead in his tracks, turning on his heels. What faced him caused him to tumble back onto the grass, grasping at his heart.

Kaepora Gaebora.

"W-What are you doing here? You're not supposed to meet me here..." Links eyes widened, at he put his hands over his mouth. He knew he had just said something crucial, but hopefully the owl wouldn't notice...

"So that proves my suspicions." The large owl ruffled his feathers, looking very content with himself. Link was beyond frightened, though he clearly knew that Gaebora was someone to trust... Right? Link hadn't been sure of anything recently. His world had been flipped on it's head.

"Link, no need to panic." The owl looked down at Link with mild amusement, obviously finding Link's terrified reaction to be funny. "I don't understand why you would be frightened in the first place. It's not like anyone would even believe such a ludicrous story. Time is never navigated." Link looked up at Gaebora in shock and interest.

"Navigated? Time? Owl, you are not making sense." Link sat up, staring intently at Kaepora, searching for an answer. The owl laughed.

"Listen to me, Link. You have not changed, you have not aged in the slightest. I know what you are thinking, you're thinking that Time was somehow... Reset. That is flat out impossible." Link looked quizzically at Gaebora. It had to have been reset. There was no other explanation.

Or was there?

"Okay, Oh wise bird. Explain your rules of time." Link stood up, brushing dirt off his tunic. His crossed his arms across his chest, and stared up at Kaepora.

"Oh, how should I put this... Ah. Ok, imagine time as a river. One continuously flowing river, in which all of its waters rush into the direction of the future, and everyone is on a boat heading in the same direction. However, this river, through the power of the Master Sword accompanied by the Hero of Time, can be navigated. You can row upstream. That's how, in your previous adventure, you were able to change into a kid once in the future." Kaepora stopped to let the information sink in. Link stood, staring.

"And?"

"You see, Link, when the princess played the Song of Time, she had made a fatal mistake. She cannot properly control the ocarina's immense power, only you can. You were sent too far up the river. However, the princess had knowledge I never thought she would have. She knew many properties of time. Like a sage would... I was so careless..." Gaebora closed his large eyes, apparently reluctant to continue his spiel. Link was transfixed by his story, so the owl continued.

"You were never meant to relive your life, Link. This is what has been happening. You have learned to steer the boat." Link looked at the owl, once more confused.

"Why does it matter if I can steer it? It's just one river." The owl looked at Link in remorse, and Link was unsure why.

"No, Link. It's not." Gaebora looked to the sky. "Time is not absolute. The decisions people make steer the boat down different rivers, infinite rivers, In a never-ending flow of time. You, the Hero of Time, have mastered time itself. You can move between infinite possibilities, and control the, as you wish." Link's eyes widened, and a grin spread across his face.

"You mean I can do anything? At all? I could just reverse it... There would be nothing stopping me! I'm the king of time!" The owl shrieked loudly, and Link covered his ears in fright.

"NO! This is exactly what I was afraid of!" The owl clucked in disapproval. "Link, anything you do effects you, even in the past. You have noticed that everything you've done so far has NOT been exact as before? You can't go running through time all willy-nilly like there's no consequences! There is, Link!" Link's shoulders slumped. "I will leave now. Do not mess with time. Tell nobody of your adventures, and continue this one without changing anything. You will understand later. Godspeed." The owl flapped it's large wings, floating into the sky. Before long, he was gone. Link sighed in desperation and frustration at the owl's sudden departure.

"I have work to do." Link spat on the ground and marched towards the castle gardens.

15 minutes passed, and Link had breached the castle's best defenses. He stepped slowly into the garden of the castle, staring intently and seriously at the young girl peering through a window at the other side. The girl seemed to sense Link, and she turned around with a gasp.

"W-who are you? Have you come to kidnap me? But you're so young..." The young princess eyed Link up and down with interest. "How did you get past our castle's best security?

Link dropped his serious tone. "Those guards?"

"Finest Hyrule has to offer."

"They were pretty terrible, actually." Link said casually. The princess put in a look of pure offense and disgust. "You should think about upgrading, Zelda." Link slapped a hand to his mouth. Zelda looked at him in shock.

"H-How do you know my name?" Zelda retreated from Link, fear plastered on her face. "Have you been watching me? Are you a spy?"

"No, Princess, you've got it all wrong..."

"IMPAAAAAAA!"

Link felt a rush of wind behind him, and he turned around to see Impa, the sheikah body guard for Princess Zelda. Link looked up at her stone cold face, and fear flooded him. He had fought countless monsters, but Impa was something else.

"No... Wait... Listen to me!" Link was dodging the advancing capture attempts by Impa, before an idea struck him. He pulled out his fairy ocarina. (Bringing back fond memories of Saria.) The notes of Zelda's Lullaby rung out. Zelda passed out nearby, and Impa looked at Link in utter shock.

"Well, you know the song of the royal family. Tell us your story."

Link walked away from the castle, smiling to himself. It had gone better than expected. Both Zelda and Impa listened to him, and figured that he knew the princess's name based on the name of the song. The name of the princess was not spoken of out side the castle.

"Where to next..." Link looked down at his map, wondering to himself why he hadn't remembered this by now. "Oh yeah!" Link looked up to the towering volcano.

"Death Mountain..." Link gulped.

"Oh no."


	11. Kakariko Village

A short walk across the field and a longer walk over a rickety bridge had brought Link to a large staircase. He looked up at it, and a smirk appeared on his face.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Link looked down at the grass, and looked back up. He began to ascend the staircase. He was stopped short by a tickling sensation comin g from within his hat. He had almost forgotten.

"W...What'd I miss?" Navi said as she groggily floated from the warmth of Link's hair. Link repositioned his hat as he looked up at the glowing fairy. She had been silent for quite some time.

"And what wakes you up?" Link said sarcastically as Navi began to scope the scene. She was dumbstruck by where they appeared to be. Link noticed this utter confusion, and laughed in her expense.

"Confused? Well, you did miss a lot. I met Malon, a ranch girl. I broke into the castle of Hyrule, figured out that I was the master of time itself-"

"What?"

"I'll explain later. Anyway, after the fact, I met Princess Zelda, learned a song that I'll have to play way too many times, and got a note permitting me to pass the gates of Death Mountain. Let's go." Navi just shook her head as Link began to, once again, climb the large set of stairs.

"Your hair is really comfy, you know." Navi said as they ascended the stairs together.

The village hadn't changed from when Link had last seen it as a kid. People roamed the small town, chatting amongst themselves and entering various shops and houses. It was certainly a small community, but it was an active one. Link smiled. It was welcoming.

"So, we need to head to Death Mountain." Link told his fairy companion, who fluttered next to him and surveyed the town in an interested manner. "But there is some things I'd like to get done before we head off. Come on." Link strode towards the back of the town.

"Oh no, my cuckoos! You, young man, can you help me?" Anju looked at Link desperately, and Link frowned. He had forgotten about this, but he really needed the bottle that would come from this.

"Uh, yeah. Sure."

The last cuckoo was brought to its pen by a scratched, bruised, and bleeding Link. Anju looked at him with a mix of joy and empathy. Link, bent over with blood dripping from his arms, muttered an incoherent phrase, and slumped against the pen.

"That... was worse... than I remember..." Anju smiled down at Link. She was obviously enjoying herself much more that Link was. Even Navi was out of breath.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Anju was practically hopping up and down. "I can't believe you actually did that for me! How can I repay you?" Link stood up, repositioned his cap, and looked at Anju.

"You have a bottle." Link said, gaining a surprised look from Anju. She didn't know how Link knew such a thing. "That is what I want." Anju recovered from her shock, and the smile returned to her face. She figured he must have seen it in her bag.

"Sure! You know, I'm really sorry about this. I would have gotten them, but I'm allergic. Let me get that bottle." Anju crouched down and dug through her bag. Navi flew next to Link's ear.

"If she's allergic, then why does she take care of them?" Link looked at Navi, who was looking at Anju with a mix of amusement and interest. Link looked at her.

"Her brother. He loved cuckoos." Navi looked at Link, confused. She ignored his comment.

"Ah, here we are! There you go!" Anju held out the bottle. Link took it from her hand, and smiled at her.

"Thanks." He continued in the direction he started, and Navi flew close behind.

"Hey! Link! Where are you going? Death Mountain isn't in this direction!" Link waved his hand in the air. "Link! Where are we going?"

"The graveyard."

The pair entered the graveyard, and the sky itself darkened at the sight of buried generations of royalty. Link looked around, and came to a realization.

"Navi. We can't come here yet, come on." He ran outside of the area, and Navi followed behind, confused.

Outside of the graveyard, Link pulled out the fairy ocarina that his best friend had given him. He always thought back to Saria... and that moment... He shook his head, put the ocarina to his lips, and closed his eyes.

"What do you plan to do, exactly? Link opened his eyes again and pulled the ocarina away from him. He had almost forgotten about Navi. He couldn't leave her to wait for him.

"Navi, get in my cap, and hold on tight." Navi obliged, and hid inside of Link's green hat. He put the ocarina to his lips. He closed his eyes, and played the Sun Song.

The world around him began to speed up. People rushed by in a blur, the leaves and branches on trees vibrated so violently that they looked as if they would tear. Any sound or voice given off by anything was so momentary that it would be hard to tell if there was any noise. The sun shot across the sky as hours passed in mere seconds. The moon crept across the horizon, and the world slowed down.

Link opened his eyes as the song ended. The moonlight reflected from windows, and firelight illuminated from the houses and shops. Link smiled.

"It's okay now, Navi." Navi flew out of Link's hat, looking around in amazement.

"It's night? How?" Link ignored her and walked back into the graveyard. Once back inside, he approached the grave keeper, Dampe. Dampe looked at Link, as if he were expecting him.

"Now, what would a kid be doing in the graveyard at night?" Dampe said in a calm voice. Link stopped in front of him, and gave him a smile.

"I'd like to play your grave digging game, please." Dampe didn't answer. "Hello?" Still no answer. Link began to become mad. "Hey, old man! Answer me!"

Dampe twitched and shook violently, his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed to the ground. Link stared at him, unsure of what to do.

"Um, are you ok? I'm not really a doctor, but this doesn't seem natural." Navi flew out of Link's hat in panic, and looked around frantically.

"Link, I sense seriously dark magic. Powerful stuff. We need to leave, now." Navi turned around, and stopped. She fell to the ground. Link began to panic, as he suddenly felt extremely claustrophobic. The ground beneath him and the sky above turned pitch black. Dampe and Navi disappeared in a puff of black smoke. Link was alone.

"HERO." A voice boomed out from the darkness, catching Link's attention. "YOU HAVE CROSSED ME IN WAYS I CANNOT SPEAK OF. YOU HAVE COMMITTED TERRIBLE INJUSTICES. YOU ARE FEARLESS, AND BRAVE, BUT YOU ARE WEAK. I AM POWER, I AM STRENGTH, I CAN DESTROY YOU AND EVERYTHING YOU LOVE WITH EASE." Link's energy was being drained with every word spoken by the unknown entity. He fell to his knees, his vision and hearing began to fade.

"YET, I WILL LET YOU LIVE. YOU CAN BE VALUABLE TO ME. HOWEVER, YOU MUST PROVE YOURSELF USEFUL. IF NOT, YOU DIE." The voice disappeared, and Link barely had enough energy to stay conscious. He collapsed to the ground. The last thing he saw before fainting was a distinctly heart shaped mask, with large, piercing yellow eyes.


	12. The Mark

"Should we let him remember this? It may hinder his ability to fight." The man said to the thin, sitting figure in front of him, who he was not proud to call his master.

"Yes." The figure said, standing up. "He needs to know that he is up against something he cannot defeat. Even if it haunts him." The figure laughed eerily, and it echoed out into the darkness. "One more thing... Give him a mark. A symbol of our meeting. And don't let his little friend see it... At least until he does." His head rocked back in forth in delight. He stared down at the young boy with large, unblinking yellow eyes that did not belong to him. The smile that was too large for his face remained hidden behind a mask that took the shape of a heart.

"Yes, sir. I'll have him awaken now." The man bowed and rushed away, his cloak billowing behind him. The figure continued looking down upon the boy.

"Soon, young Link. Soon." A swoosh was heard as the figure disappeared into the night, his laughing echoing on for what seemed like forever.

Link woke up with a throbbing head and an annoying fairy companion jabbing at his leg in an attempt to get him up. He sat up slowly, swiped Navi off of his leg, and yawned loudly, stretching contently.

"That was a nice nap." Link said, his hands falling back to his side. He looked over at Navi, who looked back at him with relief and irritation. Dampe had gotten up first, and had gone back to his shack. The sun shined brightly down on them.

"Do you have any idea what happened?" Navi asked, looking around for a reason they had passed out so suddenly. Link looked around with her, finding nothing.

"No, I don't really remember-" Link stopped as a flood of memories came over him. Dampe and Navi falling to the ground, a sudden wave of darkness, and a voice in the void... And a powerful one, at that. He couldn't exactly remember...

Link stood up quickly. He looked down at Navi who flew up to him, asking if he was ready to go. He nodded his head silently, and Navi flew into his hat.

As Link walked through the village, people amongst the buildings looked at him curiously. Link figured it was the green he happened to be clothed in, and he continued to head toward the gates of Death Mountain.

Once he had arrived at the gates, the soldier opened his mouth, apparently to tell him to keep away from the mountain. The soldier, however, hesitated as he looked down at Link, apparently too confused to say anything.

"So, I have a not from the princess to get through here. If you don't mind letting me through, I'd appreciate it." Link said as he shoved the parchment toward to soldier, who continued looking at Link as if he were an alien. Link replied irritably.

"Okay, look, I really need to get through here. Saving the world and such, you wouldn't really understand. I have my pardon, now open the gate!" The guard took a quick look at the parchment in Link's hand, nodded, and the gate opened. Link stuffed the parchment away. "Thanks." He walked through the opened gate.

"Hey, Navi." Navi flew out of Link's hat, listening attentively. "Do you know what that guy's problem was? He looked at me like I was crazy." Navi simply fluttered her wings, as if to say "I don't know" and flew back into Link's hat. He shrugged, and continued his way up the mountain.

Monsters flew at him from all angles of the valley portion of the mountain Link was in. His reflexes sharp and his blade even sharper, Link was able to make it up to The city of Gorons with no more than a couple of scratches and bruises. He was, however, out of breath by the time he had reached the entrance of the small town. A Goron child rolled up to Link enthusiastically.

"Hello, mister! Welcome to the town of Gorons! It's a nice little town, but we have a serious problem." The Goron child stopped talking as his gaze reached Link's face. The child gave off a look of fear. He backed away slowly. "If you have any more, um... questions, speak to some of the older... members..." The Goron child rolled into a ball and dashed away quickly. Link continued looking in his direction, confused.

"What is everyone's problem? This didn't happen last time..." Navi flew out of his hat.

"Yeah, it is a bit odd. And what do you mean by 'last time'?"

"Nothing."

Link headed off toward the town. His curiosity at an all time high, he entered the caverns that the Gorons called their home. Link looked around, smiling to himself.

"It's been a while." He directed himself toward the closest Goron, which he guessed was an older one. He approached it, and the Goron looked at him questioningly.

"What's wrong with your face, kid?" Link looked at the Goron with irritation.

"Oh, excuse me. Not everyone can be as pretty as a LIVING ROCK." The Goron looked at Link with amusement.

"Find a mirror, kid, and you'll see what I'm talking about." The Goron rolled off, chuckling to himself. Link looked at him angrily, and set off toward the chambers of the Goron elder, whom he'd have to speak to for permission to enter his next challenge: Dodongo Cavern. His door was locked, but Link played Zelda's Lullaby, the official melody of theroy so family, and the door opened slowly. Link walked in.

"If you're a messenger from the royal family, say what you have to quick, or I'll crush you." The Goron chief, Darunia, stood at the back of his chamber, picking his teeth with a small rock toothpick and a larger-than-average silver hand mirror.

"I'm not a messenger. I'm here to help with your issue." Darunia looked up at Link, curiosity clearly showing, he surveyed Link closely, paying special attention to his face. He spoke up with slight amusement in his voice.

"Mind telling me what's wrong with your face, O gallant hero?" Link looked at Darunia with anger, stomping his foot.

"Do you really have to insult me right now? I happen to think I'm very attractive-" Darunia raised a beefy hand, and Link stopped talking. Darunia laughed and flipped the mirror to Link.

"Take a look."

Link let out a shout of surprise at the sight he saw. Half of his face appeared to be tainted with a pick black substance, and it appeared that it had crawled across his face slowly, stopping right before his nose. The eye that had been consumed by the taint had turned pure white, missing any signs of a pupil. Some of his hair had turned a light grey as well. Link reached a trembling hand to his face, feeling his cheek.

"Wh- what happened to me?" Darunia laughed as Link continued stroking his face.

"None the matter. So, you say you can help me?"

After a long conversation, a few rounds in Link's fairy ocarina, and a particularly disturbing dance scene, Link had arrived at the entrance that once blocked the entrance to Dodongo Cavern. Link had already destroyed the boulders that had previously stood in his way. He scratched at his face, the substance refusing to move.

"Okay, here we go." Link strode toward the cavern, gulping as he stopped right at the tunnel leading down. He stared inside. "Don't be nervous. You've done this before..." Link inhaled and exhaled deeply. He then said something he felt he'd said too many times.

"Okay, here we go. Again."


	13. A Fight Against Darkness

The cave was exactly as Link had remembered it; Hot, humid, and smelling of dead lizard. He slid down the rock wall leading into the chambers without a hitch, landing on the ground with a thud. He looked around with a feeling of nostalgia.

The cave had a very high roof, and two layers. The bottom layer, the one Link currently resided on, had what appeared to be four doorways. Most of them were locked, it seemed, but it was no worry to Link. He had done this before.

The second layer was the same, except for the long rope bridge that connected the two sides, in which locked doors lined the walls of both. The front of a giant lizard lined the back wall, with its large law trapped shut. It has to open eventually, though. Link knew this.

The dungeon wouldn't take long, Link had a fantastic memory and he had been through the caverns once before. A sweat ran down Link's face.

"This place is hotter than I remember." Link looked down at the lava moat that surrounded the inner platform. "I guess it makes sense, though." Link looked around.

"I'm talking to myself." He sighed. "Let's get this over with."

Link had mapped the dungeon perfectly in his mind, but his young body was still significantly over-worked when he reached the final room of the caves. It was the hottest place in the entire cavern formation, as a giant lake of magma centered the large square room. Link landed roughly on his feet after a long fall, and the ground began to rumble.

"Here we go, a fight worthy of my time." Link readjusted his newly acquired bomb bag on the side of his waist. "Come on out, you freaky lizard beast." The floor suddenly stopped vibrating, and the boss did not appear. Link grew confused, and as he looked around, a deep voice rang from an apparent nothingness.

**"You, boy, are probably the most interesting specimen I have studied in my extensive travels. However hard I try to phase you, you stay stuck to one pathetic goal. Even after I stained your fleshy appearance with concentrated darkness, you marched along this beaten path. Impressive, yet fruitless." **

Link reached a hand up to the 'darkness' that was spreading on his face. Anger boiled in him. He wanted to meet this guy, and give him a taste of his sword.

**"That, however, is different. The anger you feel now? It's quite interesting." **

Link frantically searched the empty room for a source of the familiar voice. Nothing.

**"Not interesting enough, though. You bore me, child. I have no more purpose for you to live in this world. Begone with your life."** The voice vanished, and with that came more trembling. The beast had finally arrived.

Link prepped his sword, and smiled as he took a charging stance. He thought this would be a relatively easy fight, as he had already memorized the boss patterns and attacks. Something felt different, though. The lizard, instead of jumping on to the rock in front of Link, he crawled out of the lava as if he were fighting against something. When he finally dragged himself out, he collapsed onto the ground, seemingly unconscious.

"Is it over? Really? That was awfully boring." Link replaced the sword in its scabbard, and walked over to the seemingly dead beast. He poked its nose gently. No response. "Ah, I guess you are dead. Oh well, I was looking forward to a fight." Link began to walk away.

"THAT WOULDN'T BE ANY FUN, WOULD IT? YOU'RE STILL NOT DEAD!" Link froze, and turned around with a look of shock. The beast had regained its footing and was a foot away from Link, breathing heavily into his face. It let out a blood curdling roar, and large boulders fell from the ceiling. Link ran for his life, and barely grabbed his hat as he jumped behind one of the boulders at an unnatural speed. Navi flew around Link's head frantically.

"Link! How are you supposed to beat this thing? It's been supercharged by that being that just talked to you. I can feel it's demonic power, it's the same as that voice!"

"Why haven't you said ANYTHING before now?" Link screamed.

"I was scared!"

"This is just like last year's Christmas party..." Link shivered at the thought of the party disaster. That wasn't the point, however, as a demonic lizard beast was still searching for him. "Navi I need you too peek over this boulder and tell me where the beast is." Navi nodded an flew over the large rock.

"It's at the opposite side of the room. If you ran left and hid quickly, I'm sure it wouldn't be able to find you." Link nodded, and as Navi hid back under his hat, he quickly dashed to his left, until he reached the next corner of the room and hid behind another rock.

"Navi, listen." Navi flew out of Links hat and looked at him with determination. "Okay, good. I'm going to cut a hole in that thing and dive into it." Navi's eyes grew wide.

"What? Are you crazy?

"No, hear me out, I plant three bombs right next to his heart. "

"Why three?"

"It's the most I can place if I don't want to be blown to shreds." Navi looked extremely worried, but nodded nonetheless. She was obviously still hesitant at the plan, but neither of them had any better plan. "Stay here and hide. I'll be back."

"Be careful." Navi said. Link smiled and patted her on the head with his index finger. He unsheathed his sword, and charged at the beast. The lizard noticed him, and roared another ear bursting scream. Link jumped onto his his back and dug his sword into the hard scales, until a hole big enough for him to fit in was formed. He dug into the beast.

Silence. Navi held her breath for just a moment, until a hissing sound came from within the beast. Then another, then another.

Then one more.

"Link! What are you doing? You said you could only light-"

BOOOOOOOM.

Blood and guts splattered the walls and floors. Link laid a bloody, burnt mess at the center of the blast. Navi screamed, and flew over to him at fast as she could "Link?" He shouted, desperate for any sign of consciousness. "LINK?" Silent tears started to stream down Navi's face."Link, please... We have a world to save..."

"Would you calm down? This isn't my blood" Navi formed a weak smile, and flew into Links not-bloody hair.

"I'm just glad you're okay. Come on, let's go."

Link was bombarded by the Gorons after leaving the cave. They thanked him, named him an honorary 'brother', and gave him the Goron ruby.

"Good, we can leave now. I need to head home to see if Saria can clean these bloody clothes." Before Link could head off, the ruby began to glow in his pocket. It rose up, and stopped in front of his face.

"What the...?"

_"A curse was cast on an innocent soul..._

_...its evil powers have taken their toll.._

_...however, with magic of which I've been blessed..._

_...I'll come to aid, I will heal your flesh!"_

Links face began to glow and tingle, and the concentrated darkness seemed to rise from his skin and form into a half heart in front of the ruby. The ruby released gold light, and it completed the heart. A light voice spoke to link.

"Beware of an enemy with power you have never seen before. It is watching you." The heart vanished.

Link pondered for a moment as he stroked his newly healed face. "It must be talking about that thing that possessed the lizard beast... Well, at least I got that 'dark face' problem solved. But I still need my clothes cleaned. Let's go, Navi." Link began his journey to the forest.

"Master, the boy has defeated the beast. He has also been healed through divine magic. We will not be able to read him any longer." The man's master stood standing at the edge of the crater, chuckling to himself.

"Oh, calm yourself, Gerudo. This is all under control. While I did not expect him to be healed, the beast was nothing more than a pawn. Everything will work itself out. After all, I'm the one in control. Leave me be."

"Yes, Master." The man swished his cape and disappeared in a flash of light. The figure stood still as a statue, overlooking the kingdom through unchanging yellow eyes.

"So, you want to fight power that surpasses your own gods, boy? So be it." The figure put a bony hand up to his ancient mask.

"Enjoy your life while it lasts." The figure vanished like a wisp of smoke into the cold night.

**[Author's Note: Why hello! So sorry to intrude on the chapter and to be three months late, but I had reasons. I had to move, there were some family issues, I lost my sense of reality for a while, blah blah blah. The point is? I'm back. See you soon. -BoyAwesome]**


	14. A Trip Home

Navi whizzed around Link's head, keeping track of their environment and annoying Link as much as she could with each breath. Link had gotten used to it, but it didn't matter either way. He had his mind on other, more important things. He strolled across Hyrule Field on auto-pilot, and Navi continued to drone on.

The last time Link had been at his home forest, he had an "encounter" with his best friend Saria. Just thinking about it made Link blush and feel home sick. Saria was always there for Link, even when the entire village was turned on him. Those feelings developed. Link still didn't know how to feel though, as he was going to eventually become an adult. Saria wouldn't. No time to dwell, Link thought.

As the pair arrived at the forest entrance, Link stopped. Navi continued to fly forward, oblivious to the fact that there was a log in front of her. She hit it with a "thump".

"Link?" Navi said. "Why are you waiting? Don't you want that blood off of your clothes? I also want to see home, you know. It's been too long since I've been surrounded by trees. The singing of the birds, the chirping of the insects..." Navi tried to encourage Link, but he was too lost in thought to notice.

"Look, Link, if you're worried about the kiss..." Link snapped back into reality and turned a deep shade of red. Navi smirked. "I see... You know, Link, Saria has always liked you? I've been around the village and it's pretty obvious. You shouldn't be worried. I'm sure she'll be ecstatic to see you."

"Maybe..." Link shook his head and strode forward. It shouldn't bother him this much, but it stuck in his mind. A kiss. Why did it mean so much? He couldn't lie that there were a lot of emotions piled into that moment, but he couldn't say what they were. He was confused. Everything up until now was so easy... Well, apart from that mysterious voice. Not now, Link thought.

The forest was a welcoming sight. The Kokiri frolicked around the grassy hills and went in and out of the buildings that were made out of giant tree stumps. The Kokiri had very inventive ways to survive in the forest. Wooden rope bridges connected the roofs of some of the houses and shops, and people used them as express lanes to buy and transfer items and furniture. It was almost like a little industry, except on a much smaller scale.

Link looked around for the green haired girl. He wondered if she would be in the lost forest right now, and that would be more work for him. He hoped it would be easy to find her. Link asked around about her. They said she was in the forest. Link sighed, and headed into the maze of trees. Navi ended her small expedition around the village to join him.

Link arrived at the temple with both bruises and blood that wasn't from a lizard monster. Fighting was difficult in his small body. He had to get used to it, no matter how inconvenient it was to be a kid again. He forgot sometimes that this was his second run through.

Link looked near the center of the small area, and there she was, playing her ocarina. Saria. Link sometimes forgot how cute she could be when she was so wistful. He shook his head, he was here for a reason. He couldn't go adventuring in ab bloody tunic. It was heavy and unflattering. Navi flew next to him and winked. Link cleared his throat.

"Saria...?" Saria jumped and the music stopped as she looked over at Link. She fell over the stump and quickly backed away.

"Stay away, beast! I-I can fight! I'll kill you!" Link frowned and approached Saria. She covered herself with her arms. Link hated seeing her like this.

"Saria. It's fine, it's me. Link." Saria looked up and saw Link's face. She turned beet red and jumped to her feet, brushing herself off. The red of her face continued to deepen.

"L-L-Link! Hi, hey, hi, um, how are you? I mean, I'm, what are you doing here? I mean it's not like I don't want you here, it's just that I'm surprised and... And... I'm a little bit embarrassed because of, well you know, what happened last time..." Saria was spewing out words and stuttering like crazy. Link was also nervous, but he held his composure. He reached forward and grabbed her hands. Saria stopped talking immediately. Link also began to turn red. He inhaled deeply.

"Hey, look. I know a lot happened last time and that I've been gone for a while. We can catch up soon okay? I'm just happy to see you." Saria stared forward, her eyes flicking from Link's face to their joined hands. She looked like she would feint at any moment. Link let go of her hands. She regained her composure.

"Hey, I need to get my clothes clean. You can see why. I was wondering if you could help?"

"Yeah, I mean... I guess, but..."

"But what?"

"What will you... Y'know...wear... while I'm cleaning them?" Link stopped in his tracks. That had completely slipped his mind. His mind ran at a million miles an hour, trying to comprehend what she had said. I don't have anything to put on, Link thought.

"I mean, I could borrow something from the others, couldn't I? Saria?" Saria had her hands together and was blushing profusely. Link opened and closed his mouth, trying to find words to say. Saria nodded. Link sighed, and headed back to the village.

Once Link returned, Saria told him to change behind a curtain of vines that covered one of the corners. He retreated behind them and began taking off his bloody clothes. Link heard the vines rustling, but he ignored them. Once he was done, he handed the clothes to Saria and she dunked them into a small creek nearby. He sat down on a stump a short distance away and played Tic-Tac-Toe with Navi.

After his tunic and hat were cleaned and he had changed back, he prepared to head off. Saria stopped him.

"Do you have to leave so soon? It's been a long time since I've seen you. And after what happened last time I had so many things to say. I've always hoped we could be more than friends, Link. I've always liked you..." Link turned around and look at Saria.

"I liked you too, Saria. But I have things I have to do. I have a mission, a destiny. I don't like giving up my life, but it's not like I have a choice. I need you to be strong too, Saria. It may be hard, but it's the only way any of us can be happy in the end." Silent tears began falling down Saria's face. Link hated it. Must all the goodbyes end in tears?

"Saria, don't cry..." Link cupped her cheek, and she looked at him with expecting eyes. Link softened. "I won't be gone forever. I can visit like I did today, it's not like I'll be gone forever. I just need you to be strong." Link wiped the tears off of her face. She put her hand up to his hand and kept it on her face.

"I can be strong, Link, if you do something for me."

"Of course, anything."

"Kiss me again."

"Wha...?" Link was startled, but Saria just stared at him. She put her other hand up to her lips, and she smiled.

"When you did it last time, it was like floating on clouds. I had wanted that for so long... Just do it again, once is fine." Link recomposed. He stroked Saria's face with his thumb. He pulled her closer, and closed his eyes as their lips met.

They pulled apart, breathing slightly heavier than normal. Saria kept her eye closed and gripped Link's hand. He pulled away.

"I have to go now. Bye, Saria." Saria put her hands together and looked at Link. She opened her mouth and closed it again. Then, she spoke.

"Link..."

"Yes?"

"I... I love you."

Link didn't know what to say. He had felt towards Saria, but he couldn't say for sure what it was. What she had just said had struck him like a back of bricks. He didn't want to hurt her, at all, but he didn't know if that was love.

"I... I'll miss you, Saria. I really will." Saria smiled and waved. Link walked away as Navi trailed behind, not daring to say anything. Link exited the temple and eventually the forest itself. He sighed as he reached the entrance to Kokiri forest.

"I won't be back for a while. At least I made the best of it." Link strode into Hyrule Field to continue his quest.

**[Author's Note: Well, this chapter made me sad inside. That's not unusualthough. I always write myself into despair. At least I'm writing regularly now. Yay me. Next one soon. -BoyAwesome]**


	15. Ranch Sleepover

Link laid on a grassy hill in the expansive field, thinking over everything that had been happening to him and that he had done. He had certainly completed this quest before, yet things seem to keep changing. He decided to confront Navi about it, indirectly, of course.

"Hey, Navi." Navi turned around from where she was looking at a sunflower.

"Yeah, what?" Link sighed, and turned his head towards her.

"Imagine this. You complete this massive adventure and save the world and stuff, and then you get magically transferred back to the beginning of the quest. You start to do things over again, making the slightest of changes. Then, everything becomes different from when you first went through. Why do you think that is?" Navi looked at Link suspiciously, before pondering the question. She spoke up after about half a minute.

"Well, Link, that's what would be referred to as the Butterfly Effect."

"The Butterfly-"

"Let me explain." Navi flew onto Links forehead and took at seat, kicking her legs out on his nose. "Imagine time traveling into the past, and seeing a butterfly. Now, you kill the butterfly. When you go back into the future, things are completely different. Why, you may ask? That butterfly might have started a chain of events that led to something major happening, but since you killed it, those events never transpired. Thus the future is changed. And so, the Butterfly Effect." Navi finished her explanation and flew into Link's hat for a nap. Link continued to think.

Before Link had even realized it, the sun began to set over the horizon. Link jumped up, and panicked, as he couldn't bear to stand another night fighting monsters in the field. He knew he wouldn't be able to make it into the castle in time, and he would be mauled before he could reach Kakariko village. However, there was one place closer.

Lon Lon Ranch.

Link suddenly remembered what happened the first time he visited the ranch. He had gained the trust of the hire Epona, whom later became essential to him in his quests. He figured that if there was a place for him to stay, that would be a almost perfect spot. He would have to go there eventually.

Link casually strolled into the small ranch. He knew that the place welcomed visitors. He looked up at the night sky, thinking about the sun. And then it hit him.

The Sun Song.

Link slapped a hand to his forehead. If only he had remembered that the day he had to fight off those monsters for 10 hours straight. He realized he could play it and be gone, but that defeated the purpose. He might as well familiarize the ranch girl with himself. He would be taking her horse seven years from now.

Link arrived in the small field that the ranch kept the horses in. Standing next to Link's fated horse was Malon, the daughter of the ranch owner. Epona was basically Malon's, because she learned the only way to tame the wild horse from her late mother. Quite tragic, Link thought.

Malon sensed Links footsteps and turned around, obviously surprised at who she saw. She squinted in the dark to make absolutely sure, then a smile spread across her face.

"Fairy boy!" Malon took her hands off Epona and ran over to Link, stopping just a foot away from him. She put her hands behind her back and kept smiling. "I never got to thank you for getting my father to come back home. He's always so lazy, it feels like I'm the parent sometimes!" Malon giggled and continued to look at Link and smile.

"It's nice to see you too." Link stretched up his hands and yawned. "Anyway, I was wondering if I could stay the night. The town gates have already closed, and I'm sort of in a pickle." Malon suddenly put on a serious look. She grabbed both of Link's hands, which surprised him. She stared into his eyes.

"You mean..."

Link gulped.

"A sleepover?!" Malon's serious look vanished and a look of pure excitement replaced it. Link sighed in relief, and looked up at her. He was definitely surprised by her response.

"Don't those kind of things happen only between girls?" Malon let go of Links hands and turned quickly in place, reaching her hands to the sky.

"It doesn't have to be that way! It can be a boy and a girl! We'll have tons of fun, I promise! We'll play board games, and feed the animals, and tell secrets, and then pass out reeeeaaallly late after all the fun is done!" Link looked at the red head in confusion. He had to put this idea down.

"As much fun as that sounds, I really just need to sleep. I appreciate the offer though." Malon turned around with the saddest puppy eyes Link had ever witnessed, even including Saria. He felt like his heart would break in two. He sighed, and reluctantly replied.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to stay up a little longer." Malon's smile returned instantly.

"Really? Really, really?"

"YAAAAY!" Malon jumped up and down, and ran away quickly, shouting that she would get everything ready. Link slumped his shoulders. What had he gotten himself into?

Hours passed, and the pair were exausted by the time Malon was satisfied with her "sleepover". Link just wanted sleep. When she said it was time for bed, he nearly collapsed from fatigue. He had been ready to give up. At least it was over. Malon had left shortly before to change into a night gown. Link had already made a bed on a stack of hay. It was oddly comfortable.

"Hey, Navi." Navi flew out of Links hat and perched on his shoulder, prompting him to continue. "About what you were talking about earlier, the Butterfly Effect. I have a hypothetical for you. Say you had a completely platonic relationship with someone. Well, you go back in time before that kind of relationship can form and you spend a lot more time together and you act completely differently. What do you think could happen?" Navi pondered the question for a little while.

"Well, the way the person felt about you would almost certainly change." Link began to worry.

"How so?" Navi smirked.

"Well, if it was a girl, they might develop romantic feelings. You tend to have that effect on people." Link looked at Navi and they both started laughing. Link was still worried about what might happen, but Navi was good at calming him. Even if she was extremely annoying sometimes. After their conversation, Malon returned. Link's mouth fell open slightly. Navi pushed it closed.

"Stunning" was the only word Link could think of. The white dress made her look like a red headed angel, and the fact that she was so naive and innocent added to the appeal.

"What do you think?" Malon smiled at Link, waiting for an answer. Don't screw this up, Link thought. You can't screw this up.

"You look... really cute, Malon." Malon's face turned red. She laughed nervously and layed down in her make shift bed a little ways away from Link's. "You don't have to sleep in the same room as me, Malon." Malon shook her head and smiled.

"It'd be rude not to." She snuggled up in her blankets, and looked at Link before turning away. "You know, Fairy Boy, I wouldn't mind if you came over more often. it's nice having you around..." Malon blushed again and blew out the lights. Link passed out from exhaustion shortly after.

When morning came, Malon helped Link prepare to leave on his quest. She kept a smile on the entire time the two packed and cleaned. Link insisted on scrubbing the floors. Malon's father was pleased to see Link around, and kept making suggestive comments as "Malon could do with a man like you", and "My daughter is great at cooking, you know.". It all made both Link and Malon very uncomfortable, although Malon seemed particularly bothered.

Link shoot hands with both Malon and her father, thanking them for letting him stay before departing. It was nice and warm outside, and Link felt it was a good day for gaining some progress in his adventure. As he was about to leave, Malon shouted after him, running up behind.

"Hey, Fairy Boy!" Link turned, and smiled reluctantly.

"Malon, I loved staying here, but I really have to go. There's a world to save and all." Malon shook her head and smiled, before quickly kissing Link on the cheek. Link was left speechless. Malon giggled and blushed.

"Come back soon! Me and Epona will be waiting!" Malon ran away, waving before she was back in the barn. Link stood there, saying and doing nothing. Navi flew out in front of him, smirking. Link looked at her, closing his mouth.

"So that's, what, two girls now? I didn't expect you to be such the player, Link." Link swatted Navi away and she flew back under his hat, laughing. Link hit himself repeatedly on the head. He had to keep it together, he still had a quest.

"I think this visit caused me more trouble than help..." Link sighed as he walked back into the grassy hills.

**[Author's Note: Introducing Ladies' Man Link! I feel for him, being stuck in a love triangle. ****Oh well. New chapter either way. Next one soon. -BoyAwesome]**


End file.
